Sitting on the Stoop
My husband and I often sit on our screened-in porch located in the back of the house. We lounge in lawn chairs, hot coffee in hand, and gaze into the woods. The screened-in porch is perched off the second floor of our home, high above the ground level. From our vantage point, towering trees, flying birds, leaping squirrels can be seen. What we like the most about the view is the fact we cannot see our neighbors. Since our home is situated in a subdivision, the screened-in porch is an ideal location for peace and quiet, not to mention sought after privacy! It is here, on the screened-in porch, that our agenda for the day is developed.
The last couple of weeks, however, we have been sitting on the front porch steps. My Grandma used to call this action, sitting on the stoop. We sit on the wooden steps, with the fading paint, and gaze out toward the street. Life looks very different from the stoop. Peace and quiet is replaced with our neighbor and his massive leaf blower (A jet engine appears to be strapped to his back!). Stray dogs are roaming into carefully cultivated flower gardens to do their business. (I don’t think our neighbors had this type of fertilizer in mind!). A jogger, sweating in the early morning humidity, lopes down the street.(I need to go to the gym- soon!). The view from the stoop indicates that life is already a-buzz; it is time to take action on our daily plans!
Sitting on the screened-in porch and sitting on the stoop provide us with two very distinct and novel views of the world! Physically changing locations, even minimally, can help individuals to think clearer and be open to new perspectives and actions. Changing locations might be invigorating or even unsettling for someone. This week, try a new route to work. Test out a new coffee shop. Go to a different grocery store. Sit on the stoop and see what happens!
